Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton has bolstered its healthcare and government contracts, investigations and international trade practices with the addition of a lateral attorney.
David Douglass, formerly a partner and co-chair of the government enforcement and compliance group at Shook, Hardy & Bacon, joins Sheppard Mullin as a partner. He is also the chair of the American Bar Association's health law section.
Douglass' practice primarily focuses on white collar criminal defense and False Claims Act matters for life-science companies, healthcare companies and government contractors. He said that False Claims Act cases have been on the uptick.
"Particularly with the healthcare reform bill, government expenditures are expanding," Douglass said. "As the government spends more money in the healthcare space, it becomes increasingly concerned about fraud."
Another increasingly active part of his practice is guiding clients on the best practices to help them best comply with the law. "I am being asked a lot to assess risk management for the grey areas," he said.
Douglass said he expects to see more False Claims Act cases going to trial as clients find effective strategies.
"More and more cases are going to trial, but increasingly you're seeing cases moving further down the litigation path," Douglass said. "Companies are realizing that not all cases have merit. I think you'll see more trials in this area in the coming year."
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